Also:

I’d always promised my sweet Siouxsie that if she needed help to leave her body, I would do that. I loved her too much to put my ego ahead of her dignity. But the reality of coming to that decision was pretty freaking brutal.

I give Siouxsie a hug at our final vet appointment.

It all started about four months ago. I brought Siouxsie in to the vet because her arthritis was clearly getting more painful than it had been before. My awesome vet had left the practice to pursue her medical cannabis business, so I asked to see whoever was available. Little did I know at the time how important this vet would come to be in my and Siouxsie’s lives.

When Doctor E walked into the room, I explained Siouxsie’s situation. He gave her a gentle exam, speaking softly to her, and then he started explaining options for treatment.

Siouxsie was two years old when this photo was taken.

I was stunned to find myself spilling my guts to this man I barely knew.

“I know she’s getting closer to the end,” I said, my eyes starting to water. “I’m not in denial. She’s almost 19 now, and I can see how she’s changed just over the last few months. But how soon is too soon? I don’t want to euthanize her if her pain is manageable and she still has a good quality of life.”

“There’s such a fine line,” I said. “One of my friends told me, ‘Better a week too soon than an hour too late,’ and I believe that. I was an hour too late with another cat and it broke my heart to see her suffering.”

2010: Siouxsie, left, just woke up and she’s shocked and dismayed to see that Dahlia curled up next to her while she was asleep!

As I wiped my eyes, Doctor E looked at me and said, “It’s always a difficult decision. I’ve been through this a few times with my own pets, and it’s not easy for me, either.”

Siouxsie and I went home with a prescription for buprenorphine, an opiate painkiller, to take to a local compounding pharmacy.

The buprenorphine gave Siouxsie a new lease on life. She was more mobile, having less trouble in the litter box, and was obviously happier. Once I got the chicken-flavored compounded liquid, she took her medicine with gusto.

2012: Siouxsie always did love her sun puddles.

Then one mid-April day, I noticed spots of blood and mucus on her back end. I figured she was constipated from the opiates because she was doing reasonably well otherwise — until one night when we were snuggled together in my bed. I rolled over and moved her, and she peed all over me.

I jumped out of bed and stripped the sheets and mattress pad before the urine could soak through while repeating, “It’s okay, Siouxsie, I’m not mad at you. I know you couldn’t help it.”

2012: Siouxsie, Thomas and Kissy share the cat tree. Siouxsie always loved being on the highest shelf of the cat tree, but for the last year or so of her life, she never got near that exalted perch.

The next morning I called the vet and in we went for a checkup. Before the tech could leave the room to prepare for a cystocentesis to check for bacteria, Siouxsie peed all over the exam table. The tech grabbed a syringe and sucked up some of the urine: it was cloudy and bloody and full of mucus, and I felt like the worst pet mom ever.

Doctor E walked into the room. He mentioned a culture and sensitivity if they could collect enough urine to do one, possibly running blood work, and so on. “I honestly think the only thing the blood work will tell us is that she’s old and sick, and we already know that,” I said. I did give him the go-ahead to see if he could collect enough urine for the sensitivity test. He couldn’t.

2013: Siouxsie found a nice, soft-sided box to snooze in during our overnight stay in Schaumburg, Illinois, as we drove across the country to our new home in the Pacific Northwest.

Once again I found myself crying in the exam room. “I know we’re getting closer,” I said, “but I can’t be like, ‘Well, put her down; she’s got a UTI!’”

We agreed on a course of antibiotics, and they seemed to be having an effect. She was walking less painfully and she wasn’t having any accidents.

Early 2014: Siouxsie decides to check out the view from my shoulder.

But then something incredible happened.

I’d fallen asleep in my chair and I half-awoke around 3 a.m. As I was getting ready to climb into bed, Siouxsie looked up at me from under the night table. I could almost hear her saying, “Mom, I’m tired. Please let me go.”

With tears in my eyes, I told her, “I hear you and I honor you. I’ll make the call tomorrow. I just ask that you do me one favor: Will you please come to me in a dream or something and let me know I heard you correctly?”

“Mom, I’m tired. Please let me go.”

She snuggled up next to me, between my left arm and my torso just as she always did. After a little while I rolled over and started to move her back feet out from under my body … and she peed all over me.

I was laughing and sobbing as I changed the sheets.

Turns out I did know when it was “time.” With a little kick in the pants from my cat, that is.

On April 25, 2015, Siouxsie earned her wings, with some help from the incredibly kind and compassionate Doctor E. My good friend Carmen and I were with her as she drew her last breaths. She was just a week shy of her 19th birthday.

Siouxsie drifts off in my lap as the sedative takes effect. In a few minutes, she will receive the final injection.

What about you? Did you know when it was time to let your cat go? Did they give you any kind of sign, or did you just know? Did you wait too long? Do you wonder if you waited long enough? Let’s talk in the comments.

About JaneA Kelley: Punk-rock cat mom, science nerd, animal rescue volunteer and all-around geek with a passion for bad puns, intelligent conversation, and role-play adventure games. She gratefully and gracefully accepts her status as chief cat slave for her family of feline bloggers, who have been writing their award-winning cat advice blog, Paws and Effect, since 2003.

90 comments on “How Do You Know When It’s Time to Euthanize Your Cat?”

My 17-yr-old tuxedo kitty is curled up asleep on my lap. She was diagnosed with kidney disease a few months ago. She has always been small but is now down to just under 5 lbs. The renal food seemed to help with the vomiting, but she was still losing weight. She also had a few episodes of peeing on beds and laundry, though she was still agile and mobile. So I knew she was old and probably didn’t have much time left, but until yesterday she was still eating, using the litterbox (mostly), grooming, curious and alert.

Then just yesterday she had some kind of seizure. She had had one (that we know about) several weeks ago but bounced back within 15 minutes and seemed fine. This time she hasn’t bounced back—she can’t put weight on one of her back legs and she walks/staggers with her back arched as if it hurts. She hid under the bed for a couple of hours afterward, and hasn’t eaten anything since then. She will drink water if I put it right in front of her but won’t walk to the bowl. She seems to have a hard time getting comfortable. But at the same time she is still very cuddly, just like always (or even more so). Last night she slept on the bed with me for the first time in years (though I had to lift her up), and today has basically only woken up and staggered around so that she can come curl up on my lap. I know she is uncomfortable and probably isn’t going to get better but it is so hard to make the call when she still wants to be with me. We have a vet appointment for this afternoon and I told them I thought it might be time.

I don’t want her to continue to go downhill, but I feel like I’m betraying her. She was practically fine yesterday, and she is so interwoven in my life that I can’t imagine it without her. At the same time, we have already decided not to take any heroic measures, as she is old and has had a good life, and it would just torture her. The kids and my husband all said their goodbyes this morning, and I’ve been sitting here crying for hours, and I’m kind of afraid the vet will say it isn’t time yet and we’ll have to go through this all over again in a week, a month, who knows?

She is my first pet, I got her as a tiny kitten, and obviously I knew pets don’t live forever, but I didn’t realize this could be so painful. Anyway thank you all for sharing your stories and for giving me the chance to write this. It is helpful.

I am currently going through the denial that she’ll get over whatever is going on with her and be her frisky loving self again. However, I think today is going to be the day she gets her wings. She has slept on my neck for so many years I’m not sure how I will sleep without her if I let her go. That is my selfish side talking. My caring side says to let her go so she will be happy again.

I had to put my beautiful 12.5 year-old Kitty last weekend and I just can’t believe how hard I’m taking it. This whole thing felt rushed, so my advice is to not do it the same appoinrment that your vet brings it up. Take some time, especially if your pet seems to not be in pain, and say goodbye properly. I feel like I was robbed from that.

Yesterday I took my beloved 13 year old tabby to the vets for her final journey. I am in peices. My head said it was the right thing to do but my heart didn’t want to let her go. She had only recieved the diagnosis of lung cancer a week ago but had not been well for a few months. I think some of her symptoms had been masked by steroids for a poorly ear but she had been backwards and forwards to the vet and we still weren’t getting to the bottom of her being off her food. I thought it may have been the thyroid medication that she started at the end of last year but the ultrasound showed many tumours in her lungs. I felt so bad we hadn’t found it earlier!
From the middle of February she wouldn’t eat unless it was a treat or two. This was a cat who loved her food and used to wake me up in the morning because it was breakfast time. By the time we had the last test results back, she wouldn’t even eat a treat. She didn’t want to be stroked and would walk away if you tried. She wasn’t eating, drinking, enjoying attention or wanting to spend time with me or her sister. She just wasn’t happy.
I booked her appointment yesterday morning. It was time. If the cancer didn’t kill her then the lack of food and water would. She actually ate 2 treats after the appointment was made. I thought about cancelling. But that would have been for me…a few more days with my girl.
I feel guilty that it may have been too soon but I know she wasn’t living a happy life. She went so quietly.
I miss her.

Hi, we have had our 14 year old kitty for a little over 6 years. We adopted her from one of my co-workers. At the end of September she was diagnosed with pancreatitis. At that time she was 7lbs. She is a Manx and has always been small. Toward the end of November we noticed she was constantly losing weight and gaining a little back. We took her in at the beginning of December and she was diagnosed with a UTI and Lymphoma. We went forward with a steroid shot, antibiotic shot, fluids and a vitamin shot. She was highly dehydrated. Within the last few weeks she has really been going down hill. She is now 5.1lbs, she’s not making it to her kitty box every once in a while. She still eats and drinks really good. We just went in for a checkup and the vet said the tumor is bigger. She didn’t have her UTI anymore. He gave her some fluids, vitamin shot, another steroid shot and an antibiotic shot. Now she just sleeps on the couch in her bed on top of a bag and towel as she doesn’t get up to go to her kitty box at all.
She is our first pet that we have had to make adult decisions with. We’re not sure if we made a mistake a couple days ago of doing these steps as now. How do you get yourself to make the call? We don’t want her to suffer but at the same time we don’t want to do it too early either…

Update: she told us she was ready. She vomited tonight and it was full of blood. We called the vet and they allowed us to come in at moments notice. We only hope she wasn’t in too much pain. It is hard to let her go.

We’ve had 4 dogs and 7 cats. We’ve put down 5 over the years. Everyone was very difficult. Each time it was needed immediately. Our last baby is Chessie and she has given us 22 years of unconditional love. She has been failing for 6 months. Our vet came before Thanksgiving and said what we thought was arthritis was weakness. Although she had a strong heartbeat. Her meow has weakened and she stares in the distance. She still loves to be petted but she is losing weight and can not walk without falling. Her eyes penetrate our souls. We need to let her go and the vet will come tomorrow. The only one that was not an immediate emergency also the hardest as she is our last and we have no others to give our love to and to help us grieve. This has been the hardest decision but as always my wife notices the signs first then I saw chessie walk and carried her to her favorite spot and when I looked at her eyes I knew. I layed down next to her and petted her with so many emotions. As I write this she has came in the bedroom meowing and wanting us to feed her. I cant sleep as I don’t want to let her go but we must. No easy way but she will be free. We love you chessie and we feel for each and every one of you facing this same decsion.

I’m facing it right now. My little guy is almost 18. We’ve been treating him for diabetes and a few other things. He’s stopped eating, barely drinks, and has constipation which must be very painful. He’s arthritic, uses adequan and now has a lot of difficulty walking. He also has kidney disease and now pancreatitis. When young he was epileptic. For the first time in about 12 years, he’s had 2 seizures. I know it’s time. But when i look at him and hold his beautiful little face between my hands, looking at each other eye to eye, I feel his love for me and mine for him. He trusts me with his health and his life. It’s so hard, so painful.

Thank you for sharing that. My sweet girl is about 17. I found her in my backyard while looking for my beloved silver (maybe Maine Coon) mix, Peter.
I was devastated because I thought the higher power had sent me this little gray & white kitten (named “Splash” because of an awkward looking bit of white long, guard hairs on her back)
as a replacement for “Peter”. I took her in the house and low and behold, rascally ole’ Peter came in a few hours later. We were fostering a couple of kittens at the time, so it was a bit chaotic.
Bear in mind that my husband is allergic to cats, however, he had the temerity to say “Dad gum it we’ll probably be stuck with her. She’s really cute!” Of course, with that comment, his and her fate were sealed.
So long ago…. Peter went missing probably due to a COYOTE in 2010, so sad because he was my BABY and “Skitter-Boo’s” best friend and protector.
She seemed not to like the name “Splash” and renamed herself. She skittered and was such a Boo (a Southernism for dear or darling or such).
Many stories I could share, but the gist is that she had a ca ncerous growth removed Dec 20`17. The cancer has come back, spread, and I will not put her through painful procedures again!!

How do you know when it is time??? I really thought last night, that I would take her in today, but couldn’t face it and canceled. I thought she had rallied – kept food and treats down. Then she didn’t! She was an 11 -12 lb cat and I doubt she weighs 5 lbs now. I have tried so many different foods, but in the long run nothing has worked.
I have had cats for over 50 years, and have had to put some down. This seems so different – not a black and white decision.
I know she has had a good life (I should die and come back as one of my cats!:)). I know I don’t want her to suffer, but for some reason this is so hard with this cat.
BTW, I have 2 other cats, so I won’t be without. Please, does anyone have any great – eve not so great – wisdom to share?

While I’m typing this, my 15-year-old cat Rocky is snoozing in a basket to my left. He has later-state gastric lymphoma, and in the last 8 weeks has developed a chronic upper respiratory infection. Before the lymphoma he was diagnosed with asthma and hyperthyroid. Despite this, he was a happy, hearty 15lb love bug; running around like a kitten, and always with me or on my lap.

Within 4 months he’s dwindled to 5.8lbs (he should weigh 13-14, very large kitty). He’s on prednisolone, anti-nausea, antibiotics, methimazole, and supplements. The last two weeks he’s been in faster decline. I had arranged to have him put to sleep a few days before Christmas, but he rallied; eating at bit, moving about, purring, and interested in his surroundings–so I joyfully cancelled the appointment. However, he’s been having fewer good days and now really none. He will softly purr if petted, but you can see every bone and he’s not had a meal in days aside from a little water and tiny amounts of pureed cat food fed through a syringe.

We keep him in a quiet room away from our other (hyperactive, rambunctious) kitties and he will stir to pee in his litterbox, but that’s it. He lays quietly in his basket and just breathes. We are talking him to be put to sleep this evening. I can see the 1st unmistakable signs of him being in real pain + not eating for so long…how awful. Still: I am wrecked as he’s my wee baby. I’ve had almost a dozen cats in my lifetime and I can honestly say that he’s extra-special: truly loves people and really loves me.

It’s never easy, never. However it is so true: better a week early than a day too late. I was too late once, never want that again.

My 17 yr old cat got diagnosed with kidney and renal disease and in the last few days she’s been sleeping more often, drinking a lot, still eating but has missed the kitty litter a few times (both pee and poo) and now has been licking at her genital area so much she’s all inflamed and peeing blood. She also has arthritis in both back and one front leg which I don’t think seems to be bothering her as much.
I don’t know what I do as I don’t want to make this decision lightly or make the wrong one but I also don’t want her to suffer.

Dear Monty,
I am also trying to decide when is the appropriate time to help our elderly kitty cross over to Cat Heaven. She also has chronic renal failure and over time, it has really helped her to have subcutaneous fluids to flush her kidneys out and bring down her creatinine and BUN levels. If your kitty is peeing blood she may have a urinary tract infection or a stone and it is very important for you to have kitty seen by a vet asap. Blood in the urine is not a normal finding for renal disease. My kitty would also get frequent UTI’s because she’d get dehydrated from her renal disease. It REALLY helped to give her fluids every few days, as she hasn’t had any UTI’s since! The drinking a lot is because of the kidney disease and the missing the litter box may be due to a UTI. I would not give up on her at this point but I would definitely have her seen by your vet.

I hope this helps you with your kitty. While I am not a vet, I am a nurse and I try to use my nursing skills to care for our cats. Our kitty has had chronic renal failure for almost 2 years now and it has been manageable with fluids. It does depend on how severe the renal failure is… chronic vs. acute. Your vet can help determine that. They can also teach you how to administer fluids at home, if you decide to do that.

You must be a wonderful cat parent to reach out like this. Bless you and your kitty.

Just made the decision this week to put mine down. Made the appointment yesterday for today. She is one methimazole, densmarin, and another for arthritis. She has been peeing and defacating randomly around the home the past few months and moving her from a litter box to pee pads have not made a difference. Funny you mentioned wanting yours to co e to you in a dream. I had a dream about mine last night. I’ve never had a dream with her before, or not in the past few years, so I know it’s time. She’s in bad shape, can still walk, but she doesn’t deserve to suffer any longer. We took a trip outside yesterday for some fresh air. I will miss her.

My cat is only 12 year old, but he has kidney disease. His health has plummeted within the last week or so. Recently he has stoped drinking, eating, grooming, and exercising. He is normally very playful and all but now he just huddled up in the corner. We think he is in pain, but we don’t know and we just really don’t know what to do. Please if you have any suggestions….we are desperate.

My 14 year old cat, Balou, was diagnosed with stage 3 kidney disease a year and a half ago. He had had a rapid decline leading up to his diagnosis and I thought that there was no way he could possibly come back from it. The vet said that stage 3 is advanced (stage 3 out of 4) and that it is not a “curable” disease. I was devastated; I felt like it was completely hopeless. Yes, it is not curable, but it is manageable. I began giving him subQ fluids 1-3 times a week (every day or every other day is recommended at this advanced stage but he used to be feral and still has some wild “don’t you dare try to restrain me” kitty instincts so catching him can be tricky). Well, as I said earlier, it’s been a year and a half since his diagnosis and he is back to his old, rascally, adorable self. He looks better than he did during the two years or so leading up to his diagnosis.
So don’t lose hope! It is truly incredible how this can restore their quality of lie and to see them thriving again.

My Kitty Sabrina is 14. Black rescue kitty adopted 6 years ago. Diagnosed with hyperthyroidism and asthma earlier this year. She’s on two medications. Terbutaline Methimazole. Asthma attack pretty much every time she walks across the room. She’s very cuddly, sleeps on my bed with me every night. I’m terrified she will stop breathing while I am at work. Two emergency trips to the doctor last month when she began meowing for me in a way I’d never heard before. I don’t think she’s in any pain.
Really don’t know what to do.

So glad I found this website. My Sundae ( Sister) had just been diagnosed with a grocery list of problems. We adopted her off of the streets. We don’t know exactly how old she is, but she’s at least 13. Only 3 teeth, Trouble breathing, coughing, and lately in the last few days, no longer eating and trouble walking. She has always been sickly, but it’s worse. I’m not in denial that the time is coming. My problem is that she is doing the bounce back. It’ll get real rough and then she will go a while doing really well. Her appointment is tomorrow, and I’m really struggling on if this is the right call. It probably is. I don’t want to be selfish, but it’s freaking hard. This is the first time I’ve ever had to put down a pet. I know it’s part of life, just not a very fun part. Every one of these stories have helped so much. I’m sorry for each and every one of your losses. Hugs.

My baby, Chester, is only about 14, but i think he’s reached his time. He wont eat, barely can drink, his chin is crusted over with drool every morning before i clean him up. Today i went to clean him up, and i noticed that for the first time, there was blood in his drool. It’s his time, i think. It breaks my heart but i dont want his last weeks to be in pain. I just was to do the best i can for him. Thank you for this article, it’s very well done.

I departed with my dear Stormy yesterday. He was 19, had renal failure, arthritis, deafness, and possibly cancer. He threw up a lot the day before and in the bed during the night and did not want to get out of bed in the morning…the guest room bed which he not slept in for months. Something just told me it was time. Up until the day before he had been eating, drinking, and tearing apart the Halloween decorations, but I just don’t know…something was off. Maybe it was too early, but I could handle knowing that he was suffering. I am going through waves of guilt and emptiness today. My heart is shattered, but I think I did the right thing. He did not seem frightened or distressed during the procedure. I still feel like utter crap, and it was the hardest thing I ever did.

I’ve been preparing myself for a week, my plan is to put my best buddy down tomorrow, 10/19/18. Gus has been up and down for the last two years. My problem is what if it’s too soon? But, I’m only fooling myself I think. Last Sunday he wouldn’t get out of his bed. Today he’s laying on my chest. It’s like my mind is trying to say no, don’t do it. But I know. If I wait, I’m going to come home one day, he’ll be gone and I’ll beat myself up. Lots going on in my head as you can tell. I love my buddy, he’s 17… I don’t want any regrets either way. I just don’t know. I also found out today that my husband can’t be with me, my dad will be out of town.

I got my cat for my 16th birthday. I actally originally got him( King Minos)with his brother (Vincenzo) and gave Minos to my brother and his then-girlfriend. My brother went through a breakup 6 months in and gave Minos to me. Having the brothers together was amazing and unfortunately somewhat short lived. Vincenzo snuck out of myour house on fault of a roommate I had when I was 18 and then luckily I found him on a local animal control website but he was gravely I’ll. It was a wisconsin winter and who knows what he was exposed to in the shelter. I had to put him down and in addition to some other traumatic life events, I had a total mental breakdown. My brother who was with me at the time lifted my spirits by encouraging me to be there for Minos. It has been fourteen and a half years since he first came into my life and has had many signs of deterioration. I can’t believe all of the places we have lived and painful and beautiful things we have been through together. One of his kidneys shut down a few months ago and I am not into daily subcutaneous injection for him. i don’t want him to suffer but I don’t want to put him down when he is still cognizant and have him feel betrayed. The bellowing meows and random urination are happening and he is clumsy and obviously arthritic but sprite in personality. I don’t know how long to let this go on.I have been able to tell for a while that it was coming. He is a true and loving friend; a rock, without whom I wouldn’t be who I am today.

I just put down my cat Darcy. I don’t know if it was too soon, but the vet said he was very sick, he either had a liver infection or cancer, more likely cancer. He was scheduled for an ultrasound, but I ended up putting him down before that. The trip to the vet was a disaster, by the end of them taking blood he pee’d and pooped himself. He also jumped of the veterinary table and sprain his leg. By the end of the day, I tried to give him his medicine, but everytime I did he would foam at the mouth. He took to sleeping in his litter box and soiling himself. I took him out of the litter box and put him on his favorite blanket and he buried his face in it. Then he woke up and meowed/wailed at me. I decided enough was enough torturing that cat and took him to the 24 hour vet. By then he was too weak to stand. I guess I did the right thing, it felt cruel, but I felt his time was about up.

Trying to decide what to do with my baby..he is 18 1/2 I have had him since a few weeks old. He is diabetic and has been on insulin for a long time. I bought his 3 month supply the other day but I am not sure I should keep him for another 3 months. He is pp’ing everywhere..he will poop in the box but goes outside on the puppy pads to pee or goes on my rugs or just right in the middle of the floor if that is where he needs to go..He is mostly blind and deaf. All he does is eat sleep poop pee. arthritis is bad in hips so takes meds for that…I just can’t seem to let him go..I pray every day God will take him so I won’t have to. All my loves live to be old and I am tired of putting them down..I know it is time but…..

My cat Kitty is 15, almost 16, and I adopted her as a kitten. Like others have commented, she is the closest thing I have and will ever have to a child. She’s been with me through a decade and a half of more life changes than I can count. Marriage, divorce, a house fire, a move to a new country, other pets coming and going… She’s near the end of her battle with gastric lymphoma, and I’m struggling with knowing when to let her go.

I’m so sorry for everyone who has felt the loss of their beloved pet or who is faced with this excruciatingly painful decision. My 8 year old Frankie was diagnosed with stage 4 kidney failure a few weeks ago. The vet took an x-ray the other day and his kidneys are enlarged, leading her to the conclusion that he likely has lymphoma in his kidneys, which likely caused the kidney failure. Just in the last day, he has stopped following me around and jumping on the bed to sit with me. He just sits in front of the water dish, sometimes drinking but otherwise just staring at it. I’ve learned that this is common behavior for cats in kidney failure because they’re so thirsty all the time but can never get enough water because the kidneys are failing. I made an appointment for tomorrow evening to put him down because I don’t want him to continue suffering with being constantly dehydrated and in pain from the cancer. I’m heartbroken and wish he could be saved but I know it’s not possible. Eight years ago I adopted him as a kitten from a shelter that originally saved him from another shelter where they were going to euthanize him. But honestly he saved me just as much as I saved him. I will miss him so terribly but I will always be grateful for the time we’ve had together.

This reads just like what I had to do today. My Chloe, 15 + years had been failing and doing the same thing. Only licked her food then stopped. Sat hunched over the water bowl for long periods but just staring. She was a bag of bones and could not jump on the bed with me anymore. I had to pick her up and put her there all night, She would look at me with sad eyes as if to say “why am I like this. Help me” I took her to the vet but giving her fluids would only prolong the inevitable. So I made the decision to let her go. She had no quality of life. She either hid in the back of the closet all day, or under the bed, barely moving. I think it may have hurt her to move much. We had rescued her and her brother who I still have as ferals from a parking lot where there were hawks circling and taking kittens. They were so young. I am blessed to have had her in my life. The guilt of putting her down is overwhelming even though I know I made the right decision as she really had no life but to sit an d hide.

All of these stories hit so close to home…yet none answer the question we all need answered. I’ve had my Belle (“Buttons”) for over 15 years…I’m 38, never married, no children, and she is so much more than even my child…she is the only one who has been there after failed relationships, career changes, and about 13 moves. She has a tendency to be very over-dramatic and I am a hypochondriac myself. The slightest out of the ordinary behavior has me thinking awful things, and I’m certain she senses my anxiety and gets worried about me then feels worse. I feel like an absolutely horrible person that I want the piece of mind to grieve and move on…like it’s not fair to her to be put down just because she is old and has occasional bouts of throwing up/diahrrea/not eating consistently/moody/achy.
The vet says “she’s getting old” but her blood came back as pretty much normal. She doesn’t seem to want my companionship much anymore sometimes, and I wonder why I keep bringing her home from the vets if she just wants to be left alone. It’s a miserable existence I feel. My mother just put her cat down, but he had severe kidney failure and there was no other option. She already has a new kitten. I feel jealous of her…her easy decision and the fact that she has a young, vibrant life with many happy healthy years ahead and I have a kind of sad shell of my vibrant baby that I love with all my heart…I cant take it…

My 14 year old girl, Midnight has a tumor in her abdomen you can feel, it’s growing…
She vomits a few times a week, but still eats, uses the litterbox and cuddles.
I’m just trying to know when the time is right, she’s been with me through so much. My kids growing up, a terrible divorce, three moves and countless other things. I’m hoping she’ll tell me when it’s her time in a way that I’ll know… this is way harder than I thought it would be, I think in one part of my head I thought she’d live forever (even though I know better) I can’t imagine life without her.

Thank you all for your stories. My big guy, Benny, is almost 14. He has ear cancer and while he looks okay, he incessantly digs at his ear to the point of bleeding. He seemed okay for a couple months and now went back to the scratching and now is bleeding again. It’s tough to know if I’m doing the right things because he does all of his normal activity – eating, a little play and lots of snuggles. If he didn’t have claws, he wouldn’t rip open his ear cysts, but there’s no way around it now. I don’t want him to suffer, and yet to fathom goodbye, is so tough. I don’t want to cheat him out of more days here but yet I don’t want to wait too long if he’s in pain and can’t tell me. My husband and I discussed putting him down tomorrow and cried for a long time….I swear he knows, just the way he looked at me. This article is helpful and I agree, i don’t want want to wait an hour too know long. My heart hurts, but I’m so grateful I had him for so long and got to enjoy so many moments with him by my side. Wishing all of you peace in the process…

Well, I’m heartbroken right now as I sit here googling ‘when to know if I should euthanize my cat’ with my 12 yo tuxedo cat, Gunther, curled in my lap. Even though I’m upset, I couldn’t help but to scroll through all the responses and I do think it helps. I’m very sorry to all of you. Gunther is my first cat and he’s the man; a dog really. The ruler of my kingdom. The problem I’m having is that I know his time is almost out and he does the typical bouncing back stuff everyone writes about their kitties doing, but this cat knows my soul. If I’m crying over him I swear he perks up and tries to eat like “hey look, I’m fine, don’t even think about it”. He’s so clearly not fine. He is a very tough cat and has never enjoyed seeing me upset, but how can I let him go if he seems to want to stay despite feeling awful? Everyone else has seemed to post about their cat giving them a sign that it’s time and I’m sitting her bawling because when I finally muster up the courage to try and help him be free he seems to hold on even tighter. I have never loved an animal like I do Him and it’s extremely difficult to imagine finding a bond like this again. I may never get another cat. He’s my everything. So sad. But the almost 13 years of companionship is worth it. My heart hurts for all of you, this pain…

Wow, Anna, your post really hits home for me. My 14 yo tuxedo is suffering with cancer and I came here seeking help in knowing when the time is right. I also feel that my love, Rocky, is putting on a brave front for me. The vet gave him 6-8 weeks when he was diagnosed and it has now been almost 10 weeks. He stills eats and cuddles. On good days he will play a little and follow me around the house. On bad days he lays in his heated bed and watches the birds outside or keeps an eye on me. He has begun attacking his tumor violently which makes him bleed but other than that he doesn’t seem like he is in a lot of distress. I just don’t know what to do and wish he would give me a clear sign. I am also of the mind set that I’m not sure I will get another cat, at least not for a while. I have had a lot of pets and have loved them all but my connection with this pet is different. I hope that your Gunther finally gave you the sign you needed and that you, and he, are at peace.

Dear Peggy, I am also about to loose my beloved 21 year old kitty… and I am completely brokenhearted (I grew up with her) but I think I will adopt or perhaps provide temp housing for a new cat shortly after she departs. Nothing will ever replace her, but I feel it would be a waste of the skills that I acquired caring for her, and there are many cats out there needing homes.

That is a brave and selfless thing to do. Pets have such short lives, overall, and we love them to death, and putting them down is the hardest thing ever. But we rebound and with time, take another fur baby home to love and fawn over. There are so many homeless kitties in need of a good home and every time one finds a forever home, there is one less on the streets.

I have a cat that is about 16/17 yrs old. Since January he has been in and out of the vet. It started out with incessant meowing that landed us there. I thought he might be hyperthyroid due to the meowing/weight loss. He had a full blood and urine workup. Everything checked out fine??? I was shocked. She did say he is showing signs of arthritis so I got pain meds for that. It seemed to help a little (he does get around better now). BUT he still was meowing and I swear he started to seem to have kitty dementia. He mostly sleeps or roams around the house meowing. He had follow up appts and did start to gain some weight. Then earlier this March we rushed back in because he had blood coming from his nose and a runny eye. She gave me a long round of antibiotics for what may be an abcess (he could also have a tumor but won’t know without further testing). His meowing was definitely worse (and different) around this time so I think he was in pain. Three weeks later we finished up the antibiotics. Still meowing (but not the severe meowing when his nose was bleeding). He just seems to be listless and sleeps ALOT. He’s basically sleeping or roaming around aimlessly meowing. He eats, drinks and uses litter box still. I don’t know what to do……I feel he looks miserable most of the time. There are times when he will seek out attention and his eyes have life in them but they are not long lasting. Any advice????

I am so sorry that everyone is having to go through this. It is the hardest decision to have to make.

I am having the same issues with my 20 year old cat, Midnight. He wanders around the house day and night howling. He seems to be going deaf and blind and also is suffering from some dementia. He spends most of his time sleeping in our guest bedroom alone and when he isn’t doing that, he’s wandering around the house howling. Sometimes he sounds very distressed. He still eats, for the most part, and he still uses his litter box. He doesn’t seem to recognize us anymore.

He was diagnosed a few years ago with hyperthyroidism. They put him on medication for it, but it almost killed him, so we had to take him off it. Medically, he can still live for a while longer. Other than the hyperthyroidism, he seems to be pretty healthy. However, I am monitoring his quality of life very closely. He doesn’t seem to be enjoying life much anymore. We have been talking a lot lately about making this decision since his quality of life is declining.

He will be the fourth pet that we have had to make this decision for in the last two years (we just had to help a 16 year old dog cross the rainbow bridge a couple of weeks ago). Our first cat (he was 14) gave up on grooming his self and lived in our closet. He also stopped using the litter box. We made the decision for him because his quality of life was non-existent. Our first dog (she was almost 14) made it very clear that she was ready. She had a ferocious appetite, being a beagle. One day she stopped eating and would just stand in the same spot with her head and tail down. Our last dog (he was 16) was very devoted to me and tried to keep a brave face on, even though I knew his organs were shutting down. He never gave me the clear signals, but I knew deep in my heart that he was tired. He fought to the very end, but I know now that it was the right decision to make for him.

I was hoping Midnight would hold on a little longer because this process is the hardest thing you would ever go through and having just gone through it two weeks ago, we’re not ready to go through it again. Despite that, I will do what is best for Midnight because he has been a loving and loyal companion for these last 20 years.

Oh wow, you could be talking about my cat right now! We have no idea what’s wrong but my husband is convinced she’s going senile. She’s stopped using the litter box in addition to acting so strange and losing a third of her body weight, and since the bloodwork and fecal sample came back normal, our vet just keeps telling us she needs to be retrained to use the litter box. Something HAS to be going on–my cat is like a different cat these days. Did you ever find out what was going on with your cat?

Thanks for the stories. I’m trying to know when “it’s time” for 15-year old Cosmo. He has hyperthyroidism that has progressed a lot in the past year. He has lost a lot of weight and is bony. He also throws up probably once a day on average, and is always acting starved despite the fact that there’s always food out and sometimes he doesn’t finish his meals.

What’s hard for me is I know hyperthyroidism is treatable, but I don’t think the treatment options are realistic for us. Radioactive iodine treatment is more than we can afford, and the 10-day hospital stay followed by two weeks locked in a room away from the kids sounds like torture for an indoor cat who hates strangers. Twice-daily medication also sounds miserable. I don’t think I can stand to hold him down twice a day and shove medicine into his mouth. I know his personality, and he will not tolerate that well. He’ll think we’re intentionally torturing him.

If Cosmo is still with you, I would recommend getting the hyperthyroid pills and grinding them up and mixing them into his wet food. My cat has had no problem consuming them that way. Unfortunately he has other ailments now (at least 2 forms of cancer) and is having increasing bouts of panting in this hot weather, which is why I am perusing this site. I might call the vet to explore pain meds first though.

I’m here reading this thread because my almost 16 year old Stinky is eating less and drinking more, signs of advanced kidney failure. She is already on a special kidney food, has been for a couple months now. She was diagnosed with hyperthyroidism two years ago after dropping half of her weight and vomiting frequently. We have been giving her the medication twice a day for almost two years. It’s been worth it to keep her alive. She gained her weight back within a month or two. The pills are worth it. But now I don’t know what to do about her not eating. I’m hoping in some twist of fate, the thyroid medication is working too well and we just need to decrease the dose. She sees her doctor on Thursday, unless it gets worse and has to go to the ER before then.

It’s so hard. I don’t want her to suffer, but I don’t want to end her life if we can treat her.

My 13 yo best bud, Stuart has been battling Hyperthyroidism as well. His only treatment option is twice daily meds and they aren’t working anymore. He has a heart murmur, so other treatments would be life threatening.
Stuart has been with me through some of my darkest days. Such a loyal friend.
It’s breaking my heart, but he is literally bones. He eats constantly, yet vomits and has diarrhea daily. The food and the medication seems to only be a band-aid.
We have an appointment in the morning, and I already know what the doctor will say…

I’m laying in bed bawling as I read all these stories. My 11 year cat, Kitty, has cancer in her ear. It is fast growing. They suggested I out her down right then but had to take her home though because I just couldn’t make that decision on the spot, I had to say goodbye. It has been a month and tonight she was on my lap and just looked at me. Her eyes full of sadness. I could tell she was telling me it was time. I googled how do I know it is true me to euthanize my cat and stumbled upon this site. I’m making the call tomorrow…I’m just so devastated ????

Hi Kelly, I made the decision on Saturday, March 17th for my 11-year-old baby David. We found out his T4 was high so his vet started him on medication in January and increased the dose in late February because it wasn’t going down. However, I had to rush him to the Vet due to him not eating, drinking and pooping. First thing they did was insert a feeding tube in his nose to help build up his strength. They also noticed he was yellow, which turned out to be jaundice. They also did a sonogram that is when they found the tumor and recommend I move him to ICU at BluePearl. BluePearl did a needle biopsy and that’s when we realized his high T4 was hiding the fact he had cancer in his kidney and they told me with chemo treatment he would have lasted 6 months. They inserted a feeding tube in his neck, he was on five different medications, and his anemia was high. He could not eat, drink, poop, play and just sleep under the bed or in the closet. He went from 16 pounds to 12 pounds and wasn’t able to hold down his food thru the tube. We found him just sating in his litter pan in his pee and his food his nurse gave him via the tube (he throw up once again the food given to him that night by his nurse), leaning on the side of it. I knew it was time to let him go. I keep thinking what if, did I do the right thing, did I rush my decision. I believe he was tired and wasn’t enjoying life anymore and I was keeping him around for me not him. I wish I could take away your pain, it is never easy to say goodbye to our fur-babies.

You did a lot for your cat! My 15 yo guy stopped eating well or at all for three weeks and my vet thought it was lung cancer. When he stopped drinking and had water pressure on his lungs making breathing difficult. I felt I had to let him go. I am totally second guessing myself. I never wanted my guys to starve to death, so when does that start? When they lose 1/3rd of their weight? I told my vet not to worry about $, but she didn’t want to stress him—kind of a feelings first vet. Plus, I worry I misinterpreted the gravity of what the vet said. From now on, always get a second opinion, and always have a home visit for euthanasia… ways to put brakes on ‘feelings vets’ who are too quick to euthanize

I put our 13 year old Persian to sleep today. She also had ear cancer which spread agrressivley in the last. I feel so lost and confused, did I let go to soon? Would she have gotten better? Was she ready? Did I let her suffer to long? Holding her lifeless body absolutely broke my heart. I don’t want to be in my room because I know she is not there. I don’t think what I have done has hit me yet

I’ve been struggling about making a decision for my almost 18 year old sweetie, Salem. I’ve had her since I was 11 years old and an awkward kid who’s only friend was the cat. The past year her mental state has deteriorated, she’s confused more often and she sundowns at night. She forgets where the litter box is and uses baskets or piles of laundry instead. She eat and eats and eats but doesn’t gain weight, in fact she’s been losing weight. Other than that, the vet says her health is perfect. Better than expected for an 18 year old cat. But the way her whole personality has changed is the most concerning to me. I don’t want to let her get to a point where her health is also deteriorating and she is suffering even more. Reading all of your stories I’ve been sitting here crying my eyes out. But I think I’d rather know I let her go before she is in pain while she still remembers me and how much I love her. Thank you all and I’m sorry for your losses.

I have a 18 1/2 yr old cat. I had her since a kitten. I am lost right now. She has been losing weight for past yr. She is down to 4 1/2 lbs. the vet says she is frail and will not give her vaccines. Recently past week she kind of went down hill. She eats but not much and now only wet food. She drinks TONS of water and her belly extends cause of all the water. she still urinates a couple times a day but right outside the box. She moves very slowly, she can still jump up on a chair or couch but is hesitant. Otherwise she will just lay and rotate her body in different positions. When we pick her up and lay her down she doesn’t put up a fight anymore. Im so sad and can barely see what I am typing. I don’t want to poke her with shots so I am just trying to make her comfortable. I don’t know what to do. My husband says that maybe we should put her down before she is in pain. It’s so hard. any thought or advice would be great.

I just read this article and it helped me a lot. I have my beautiful 18 year old male cat who was diagnosed with hyperthyroidism a year or so ago. He has been doing well with medication. Then last week his breathing changed and when I took him in to the vet he was diagnosed with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. (Secondary condition to the hyperthyroidism) He had fluid build up around his heart which was drained. He was put on three new meds with a timeline of three to twelve months. My heart is destroyed. I see the decline since his diagnosis but he is still eating well and using the litter box. He does not get around very well- arthritis and old age- plus the heart condition makes him winded easily.

I’m researching today to justify a call to the vet in the morning . My 20 yr old cat has had so many health changes in the past month & I’m waffle-ing…do I wait until things get worse later or end her apparent suffering sooner? I personally don’t care for pain & if I’m ever in the situation where my quality of life is deteriorating, I’d want any help I could get…so I guess I’ve just solved my dilemma. It is time to let her go in peace!

Im at a loss. As i read your stories im saddened to the core. I only wish my Sebastian was 15,18 yrs old. Hes only 10 yrs old hes always been a big boy. A whopping 21 lbs. but a big active boy. The last few months hes lost so much weight it’s devastating. Our vet visit didn’t come up w anything in his blood. Not liver, not thyroid not feline aids. So basically “probably” cancer. He’s been on antibiotics but that didn’t help. He never has an accident just refuses to eat or drink. Just tonight he’s noticibly weaker. Back legs are so weak. Im slightly dying inside. Ive always heard once they cant walk it “time” i really dont want to make this decision. Im praying he goes peacefully in our home while sleeping. Im devastated. Watching him breathe. My first baby.

Jarring to read about Sebastian previously here. My cat, Sebastian “Sebbie” – is about the same age and has kidney failure. I’ve never had to euthanize a cat before. Been taking him three times week to vet for sub fluids – since I didn’t do so well trying this on my own at home. This cat is sooo special – he’s my cat-dog – and the one everyone loves – especially those who don’t like cats. He’s welcomed and ‘mothered’ two strays I’ve brought in, helping them adjust and trust me. He plays with the dogs. He lays on my chest at night and in the morning, ‘kissing’ me. Lately he’s on top of me as I go to sleep and as I wake up. He’s been a star on Facebook with his antics – I’ve enjoyed our journey, albeit short, so much. I ‘m thinking this weekend is time – tomorrow is my birthday – but it’s not about me. I don’t want my Sweet, Sweet Sebbie to suffer – ever. He’s not happy at all now. And neither am I.
This. Sucks.

I am wrestling with what to do. So I appreciate any feedback you can provide to me. My cat is 19.5 years old and has had IBD for about 3.5 years or so. This disease has caused her to not eat, chronic diarrhea, and to lose weight on and off throughout the years. I have managed it primarily with medication. In October 2017 she had lost more weight and was down to 6 lbs. (she was about 11-12 lbs. in her healthy days). I brought her for a check-up in December, 2017 and she was down to 4 lbs. She had lost 2 lbs. in about 2 months. She is literally skin and bones. There is some underlying disease that is causing this weight loss but the vets don’t know what it is. I decided it was time to euthanize her last week because she didn’t seem like she was eating, but she bounced back and is now eating and drinking and walking around, so I am torn. I basically have to put my cat down because she is super thin. I know she does not have a long life left, but why put her down if she is feeling ok? It is scheduled for tomorrow uThank you.

I have to put my cat down whom i found as a stray. My husband found him and brought him home. He was the sweetest most affectionate cat. He loved to cuddle and would lick your face. I was so in love. When he wanted attention he would vocalize and than run up and beg for attention. He is the best cat ever. We were supposed to rehome him because we werent in the market for another cat. I have had him for a year and a half. Than the other day i noticed his breathing was more rapid. I brought him to the vet and he had fluid in his chest. He had tested positive for feline leukemia. I tried my hardest to nurse him back to health. I wanted a miracle cure. I hoped and prayed this wasnt the end. Unfortunately this cruel disease is taking his life away. It is sooooo heart breaking. I didnt want this to be the end. But he just looks so miserable and i cant continue to prolong his suffering. My poor baby boy. No more pain.

Found your site on Google. Leroy is sitting in my lap right now as i google ‘how to know when to euthanize your cat’ I almost feel guilty doing it in front of him but he’s got a fast growing tumor on his chest that definitely isn’t an abscess. It’s changing shape and getting bigger. Steroid shot and antibiotics last week but his diet is decreasing and he’s not eating much. He just lays around all day now, he’s 14. He doesn’t seem to be in pain other than when he goes up the steps. I’ll miss him. I don’t want him to suffer so I think we’ll do it sooner rather than later.

My Bella is 16 and weighs 5lbs 3oz I took her to vet yesterday for the sonogram and they wanted me to put her down right then but I didn’t I took her home and she ate 1/2 teaspoon of food which has been toe normal she has cancer in her spleen and liver etc. they can’t even aspirated cause she has bleed in her tummy. I don’t want to make this decision I was hoping she would go on her own but she is in my face I mean in my face so I guess she is telling me something one more night then we fo????❤️????❤️????????????????????

yesterday we did put to sleep our lovely cat Moncho.He was only 4 ,but the doctors found that his lungs are almost gone. He was breathing very hard and got constipated ,but we thought that is because hi is a heavy boy . We were heart broken when 3 different doctors plus 1 from the long distance told as the same :We cant do anything to help him. I was still not convinced that he is that bad. I could see that he is not feeling well but he was not hiding or got mad at me or all the symptoms cats supposed to have if they are on pain. We got him to the hospital 1 last time yesterday and doctor said-You cant make him any better its better for him to let him go so we did. Is not easy to held him while hi is taking his last breath but I hope he knew that I am with him and did this for his own good Rest in Pease my lovely baby

I just found out my 17.5 year old cat’a kidney is left with 10% functionality after I noticed she has been peeing outside the box and everywhere, she stopped eating. Then, the Vet said it’s better to let her go tomorrow esp I am going out of town for three days coz he thinks she only has days left and she is in lots of pain. But after I made the decision to agree to let her go (and lots of tears), she started eating her favorite canned food, drinking water, peeing inside her box every time! Now I feel like maybe she is not in that much pain? Maybe she wants to continue? Or is it because she is happy I finally realize it’s time for her to go? I am so torn!

I am having the exact same thing happen right now! Dr found a mass on my -2 year old (diabetic since he was 5). He wasn’t eating, losing weight and severely dehydrated. I brought him home for one last night and all night he’s been jumping on bed, ate a whole can of food, using his litter pan. This is so hard.

We adopted a 14yr (she is 17 now) kitty who suffered a broken jaw and was left blind in one eye after her previous family accidentally ran over her head. Due to the injury she came to us with balance issues and atrophy in her back legs as a result of being confined for several months while her jaw was screwed shut to heal. We wanted to let her live her remaining years comfortably and happy after going through something so tragic. Late August she started peeing in unusual spots such as our dogs food bowls. Within a week she started peeing on herself and I noticed some blood. She was diagnosis with a severe UTI which took several rounds of antibiotics to clear up, we also found out that she had thyroid cancer. She was put on medication for her thyroid and seemed to do okay for about a month. A couple of weeks ago she started vomiting daily, refusing food, drinking and peeing a lot and worst of all has no interest in cuddling (very out of character). We took her to a cat specialist for a second opinion and more labs. Within a few wks she has lost 2 more pounds (a total of 5 lbs since early September) and went into complete renal failure. She feels like a tiny skeleton when you pick her up. We were told we could possibly buy her a few months with Sub Q fluids. After researching this process my husband and I have decided not to put her through that. Yesterday we took her to the vet for an anti nausea injection that last only a couple of days (to make her comfortable) and have scheduled to have her put to sleep before things get terribly bad. We are deeply heart broken and still battling with our decision and if this is truly best for her or what she wants.

Thank you to all of you for sharing. It really does help. I had 2 cats that I’ve loved beyond anything I could have imagined. Six weeks ago, we found out that our 17 yo tabby, Baxter, had heart disease and kidney failure. Try said he had a few weeks and if he lasted a month he was a fighter. The very next week, we took our 8 yo tortie, Peur, to the vet for a checkup and found that she had high calcium levels. We were told not to worry, that it was probably an anomaly, but when she started puking up bile tyre next week, we took her back and they found a tumor that turned out to be malignant and attached to get chest wall. Peur stopped eating first, followed by Baxter. After 5 weeks of crying and asking if it was time, last Friday morning Baxter looked up at me from the floor (her could barely get up) and made this squeeky meow and I new he was begging to be let go. He was skin and bones, could barely walk, and generally looked miserable, and I knew it was time. We put him down that day and though it sucked we knew it was right. Peur, on the other hand, is still with us. She’s still not eating (I’m feeding her through a syringe) and is still puking up bile, but at times she snuggles me or acts somewhat nocturnal and the thought of ending her life is just not an option. The waiting and wondering is just as painful as Baxter’s death was. But still I don’t know when to call it. I certainly never expected to have to make this decision twice in a month.

This has been plaguing me lately. My 15 yr old cat is pretty healthy other than a little arthritis and losing some of her sense of perception. She is so tired though and sleeping a lot more and on/off eating normally. She’s getting wobbly and clumsy. She hides most of the day in my closet sleeping, then coming out at night to cuddle more than she ever has in her life. I just don’t know whether I should just give her all the sleep she wants or just do the whole back and forth thing to the vet for tests and drugs.

I’m at my wits and my cat is 13 and they don’t know if it’s lymphoma or IBD, he lost a lot of weight and is on 2.5 the steroid twice a day but he’s also on an antibiotic.This is my favorite sweetheart, we’ve been through a lot together he’s my love I don’t know how to let go I have an appointment at 5:20 but I don’t know if I can go through with it ,although he has a very hard time walking and he’s very anemic I’ve had three opinion so far and the doctor says that he would need a blood transfusion and surgery and I just don’t have the funds I spent so much money already going to all the different doctors, please let me know what you think! I was also told by one doctor that he’s too weak to go through surgery !!! And I found out from another doctor through the records that my prior doctor didn’t tell me that he needed a blood transfusion in August she said nothing and here it is November no wonder my cat can barely walk , it really upsets me!!!!! I know what I should do, but he’s laying here in my arms right now ,and so terribly hard for me I’m devastated. It’s like he has ticks or something he can’t walk because he jerks all over the place ,but he hasn’t thrown up he just has lose stools once in awhile, and he was eating but just a little bit today not much .Am I being selfish trying to keep him one more day, I’m just so sick over????????

I’m not sure what you ended up doing with your little kitty, though I just want to say that I can relate, and I feel your heartbreak, pain, agony, and worry. My sweet kitty is in her last days, and I am just not exactly sure when to make the call. I love her and respect her. Last night she couldn’t even keep water down, and I almost thought I needed to rush her to the emergency after-hours clinic to say goodbye. Then, she perked up a bit and started eating and drinking better, so we are still at home today. I have to go back to work tomorrow, and I hate the thought of her being alone during the day or evening passing away alone while I am at work. That being said, I want her to eek out every bit of life that she can…without excessive unnecessary suffering. How to know all of this!!!??? Just remember, and I say this for myself as well, your love for your kitty is evident, and there is no “perfect” when it comes to these end-of-life decisions. Our relationships and love have already been established. All the best to you.

We are going through this with our cat who was recently diagnosed with lymphoma. She has lost so much weight, and I have heard everything from people including “why aren’t you doing chemo” to “why didn’t you release her as soon as you found out?” Her weight loss is so severe that it can’t continue. She still seems to enjoy some things and is still affectionate. But she is eating less, her steroid shot is wearing off and it has only been a week since she had it; she is vomiting, the diarrhea is starting up again and she sometimes goes outside the litter box. I wake up in the morning and think “should I call the vet?” Then I say to myself I will do it tomorrow because I see her looking perky and wanting petted. But I do think we are in the final days.

I am in the same situation. Lymphoma in my 15 year old guy. Steroids for 2.5 months now. Last week eating has been hit or miss. Everything else is good no litter box problems. He just doesn’t do much. Friday I thought it was all over he hadnt eaten all day. Saturday he was eating again. Today not so much. Im so sad, scared and afraid to make the wrong decision.

Same here. I just put downy 14 year old baby today. She had lymphoma and the steroids and other medications no longer seemed to work. She stopped eating but was still super cuddly. But it had been too long without eating and the last day she was less responsive than normal to pets and snuggles. It was a hard choice but I decided I didn’t want to drag it out, she had lost so much weight and must have been in pain to refuse all her favorite foods and treats :(

It’s helpful to read these. My poor baby girl Stormy Rain is 16 and losing weight and eating much. After having 2 absessed teeth pulled, she’s gone downhill sine i stopped the pain meds. One vet wants to sedate her again to X-ray and find out next issue and perform surgery if necessary. The other vet says we treat her for what we know, even with X-rays, she likely wouldn’t survive surgery after what’s happened just from a couple teeth pulling. He gave food options and she may need a feeding tube which he said is common in cats. She loves sitting outside and still purrs and happy to receive affection. Not outside litter box issues. Not sure if I should go through with torture for X-rays or just see how long she lasts. I always thought she had another couple years left and she doesn’t seem so bad off to be ready, yet. I just worry about doing th wrong thing.

I am going Saturday to figure out the options for my 15 year old, she is also a black cat. I am a nervous wreck. She has arthritis really bad in her hips. Other than that she seems happy, but tired. I am not ready to say goodbye but I think she is. I am so glad google brought me to your story. It really has helped me a lot.

I’m so glad Google pointed me to this website. I’m also faced with this difficult decision with my 19-year old domestic sweetie. Reading all your posts is providing the support & comfort I so badly need right now. Thank you!

There are vets who will come to your house when the times comes. It is so much less traumatic then going to the vets office. They sound so compassionate. I saw on line. They suggest their favorite toy blanket location other pets can be present candles whatever you deem comforting
The cost is the same as office.

I am sitting here trying to make the same decision, and I just don’t know what to do. My 15 year old kitty, Piper, has severe chronic asthma and I’ve been managing it well for the past few years with an inhaler. She has good days and bad days, but since Wednesday, she seems to be having an asthma attack everytime she exerts herself at all. The poblem is that she doesnt have any health issues except for the asthma. She is still interested in food and in being around the family, but she just can’t do anything without it resulting in an asthma attack. Even tonight, she walked across our board game that we were playing, but then had to lay down to catch her breath. Now, even giving her the inahler brings on an asthma attack, and I really feel that the descion is close. I actually made an appointment for yesterday for an in home euthanasia, but I called to cancel an hour before because she had perked up. I can’t tell if she is suffering or not, and I feel like I’m just waiting for the other shoe to drop. My heart is breaking.

I remember when my Rosie went into kidney failure. I went so far as having the vet teach me how to give her subcutaneous fluids, so I could do it at home, and just keep her alive. Then she started peeing on tables, and other places nowhere near her litter box. One day I was lying on the couch. She walked up onto my chest, and looked me right in the eyes. I swear I could “hear” her telling me she was ready to go. I realized then that I had been trying to keep her alive for me, not her.
Now, just three weeks ago, my ten year-old Minnie, whom I’ve had since the day she was born, was diagnosed with a lymohosarcoma in her colon. I had rescued her mother as a pregnant stray, so I was there for her birth. The treatment for the cancer, including an intestinal resection and months of chemo, would maybe extend her life by 6 months, and I chose not to put her through this. So. I’m waiting. She’s still eating, but just barely. She has some good days, but they are getting less frequent. Today is not a good day. She hasn’t bothered to come downstairs as she usually does, and she just wants to sleep curled up next to me. My heart is broken that I feel the decision getting close.
I’m so sorry for everyone going through this.

We are in the same situation. Max has a tumor in his mouth that the vet has confirmed is terminal. It is such that he can still eat soft food but hard food (his favorite) is difficult and irritates the growing ulcer-like tumor. His official diagnosis was about 3 weeks ago. He has had more down days than up days…but those up days are enough to make you question the decision for the end. Ultimately, it will get worse…and probably when we will regret being “too late”. Knowing this, I try to give him as much encouragement and brushing (his favorite) while I can. Unfortunately, we have made his appointment for tomorrow. But it really is for the best. We care too much to keep him from losing his dignity and suffer as a result of us deciding too late. This hasn’t been easy, but neither would seeing him get worse. It’s different for each situation, though. It comes down to the owner to weigh exactly what they know about their pet and prognosis from the vet.

I’m trying to make the decision now. My cat is in kidney failure, and I’m told she isn’t in pain. She still uses the litterbox and eats, but she doesn’t want to be held or petted anymore. She just wants to be left alone. She doesn’t walk well, and her meow sounds gravelly, so I keep asking myself if it’s time.